Post navigation

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell – Guest Review by Steph Byrd

Hi everyone! I’m Steph – event planner, blogger, and friend of Rebecca’s. I’m so happy to be writing my first guest review here at Love at First Book. Many of you know Rebecca reads many types of books, though she is not exactly a fan of chick lit. Well friends, that’s where I come in because I’m a sucker for some good chick lit – so I’ll fill the gap. 🙂

I enjoyed The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell while sitting on the beach on vacation in Islamorada, FL and I’ll tell you it’s hard to not enjoy everything in that setting.

First and foremost let me say that I ❤ Sex and the City, and since this book is all about Carrie from Sex and the City, it was a safe bet I’d like it. However, I did have extremely low expectations of this book. The only other Candace Bushnell book I’d ever read was 4 Blondes, and it was awful, in my honest opinion. But when I saw this book on sale at my local library for only $1 I simply couldn’t let it sit there. Candace Bushnell is known for her books about New York City, socialites, partying, and sex – definitely sex.

I’ve always been a fan of Carrie Bradshaw. She’s such a puzzling character. She takes huge risks in fashion, makes lots of mistakes in love, says what’s on her mind, and is on a perpetual quest of self-discovery. I wanted to know how she became our single in the city heroine. This book takes you back to Carrie’s senior year of high school, in a tiny town called Castlebury – a far cry from NYC. She grows up a small town girl with a lifelong desire to be a writer and get out of town.

Throughout the book Carrie struggles with many typical teenage issues: drinking, sex, love, what to do about college, friends and enemies, and trying to figure out where you belong. Carrie has a handful of close friends that don’t quite seem like they fit together, but they consider themselves the anti-clique. She has her best friend Lali, and her other girlfriends Mouse and Maggie. She is also good friends with Walt who had been in a relationship with Maggie for a couple years leading into the story. Her love interest is Sebastian Kidd, a mysterious boy that she met years before who makes her melt with just a glance. Of course in every story you must have an antagonist so let’s not forget the arch-enemy, Donna LaDonna – the cheerleader.

Reading this book transported me back to my high school days. This story is all about breaking down walls and learning lessons the hard way. I could relate because she learned to find her own way, stand up for herself, stand behind her friends and step out of her comfort zone. She learned that having a broken heart feels like the end of the world, but it’s really your opportunity to move toward something greater. I know I went through all those things around that age.

Here’s the strange thing about watching a TV series, the movies, and also reading the books….you start to feel like the character is real, and you know them. This book made Carrie Bradshaw feel like an old friend. I have been known to pop in a DVD of Sex and the City and let it run while I do laundry, and I’ve seen every episode at least a few times, but knowing Carrie’s history really brought me closer. I feel like I have a friend I need to keep up with now, which is why I’ve added Summer in the City to my Goodreads To-Read List. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who already enjoys chick lit.

While I’m obviously not a big chick lit fan, I can do it if it’s a little bit less romance and a little bit more . . . um. . . not romance? This actually sounds like an interesting read since it seems to tell a lot of back story. As someone who isn’t a chick lit fan, or a Sex and the City fan, do you think I would enjoy reading it?

You know, Rebecca, I do think you’d like it. There’s not a ton of romance in this one, it’s more silly teenage puppy love which is slightly comical to read about once you’re an adult. Even the “romance” is less sappy because there’s always Carrie’s mental commentary to go along with it.